Principles and applications of forensic epidemiology in the medicolegal setting

Abstract

The discipline of forensic epidemiology, a branch of forensic medicine, provides a systematic approach to the assessment of general and specific (individual) causation, with the results suitable for presentation in a court of law. In the present paper some of the methods utilized in forensic epidemiology are described, along with examples of how such methods can be reliably applied to the evaluation of specific causality in criminal and civil matters. Included in the discussion is the presentation of two case studies in applied forensic epidemiology; one in a civil action for medical negligence, and the other in a homicide investigation.